Lost Video Island

[eloramoon]

I love the different coloring techniques people use in their videos. I've played around with some of the different coloring presets in Vegas, but I was curious if anyone would be willing to share tips on what they use, what works and what doesn't, or even point me toward any good tutorials out there. Coloring is something I really want to experiment with and play around with.

Thanks!

~ Julia
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[tjmack1986]

I second that! I play around with the coloring presets and stuff, but nothing every really comes out as awesome as some of everyone else's coloring like what i've seen.

[Aislynn]

I'll third that, even though Movie Studio doesn't have much options in the way of coloring. It's always good to at least know how something is done!

[Captain Freya]

I'm no expert but I've found a few cool things through just playing around and stuff. Colour balance is cool for just basic colour changes, but you can also put colour effects on a vid with the Glow tool, and with Gradient Map. My current favourite effect is mixing those 2 effects. I set the gradient to 'Sunset' and create a light, blue-ish glow and it creates this lilac-ey, goldey effect. Also, putting an overlay on a vid can create a nice colour effect. If you create a new timeline, then right click Insert Generated Media and create a gradient (I always seem to go for blue and purple - Dunno why) and then make it an Overlay layer.
I think Colour curves can make certain colours brighter and stuff - I think that's what Kat uses to make blue eyes such a vivid blue in some of her vids, but I've never been able to work out how to use that one.
Also, you can make red's more vivid using the Saturation tool: 'Reduce minor colour noise'.. Actually, I'm not sure if it technically makes the reds more vivid, but that's what it looks like to me. I think it just desaturates all the colours that aren't bright, and that's usually the non-red colours.
I think that's pretty much all I use. Like I said, that's just what I've worked out from playing around with it so there's probably loads of other ways to do it.
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[eloramoon]

Ooo, thank you, Freya! (((hugs)))

I've actually played around with the gradient tool (the sunset pre-set as well) and that was really cool looking.

Maybe I'll just drag some random clips into Vegas and play around with it. I'll let you guys know if I find anything cool, but in the meantime, if anyone else has any other tips in addition to Freya's, I'm all ears!

~ Julia
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[Jen]

HM. COLOURING, COLOURING!

Any particular style of colouring? Or just random-colouring-tips-for-the-heck-of-it?

With me, I like to keep my colours vibrant and bright and shiny and "yay!" (in other words, I like balance, and keeping my colours realistic. Too much [insert colour] just makes some clips look... eurgh!) First thing I usually do is head over to "Levels" and brighten things up a bit. One or two, um, "layers" (? - I'm gonna use more Photoshoppy terms here ) on the track should do it. I used to use two when I was more effects!crazy, but now I prefer it being a bit more subtle, so one usually does it for me. Also, note that darker clips are always gonna be annoying and will usually require 2 or more Brighten layers.

STEP TWO:

Colour Curves are TEH BOMB.

I prefer to use the Yellow tint, BUT, here's where the fun part comes in - you can play with the curves to change the colours until you find something you like :D I usually raise the blue (I think, I've not got Vegas open, so I don't remember what I do), lower the green, and muck around with the red. Whatever. I'll just keep playing with it until it's all vibrant/happy/"yay!" enough for me.

STEP THREE:

So by now, the colours should be looking pretty fabby BUT, if it's still a bit too yellow, or a bit too [insert colour], this is where I incorporate a Colour Balance layer or two (or three or four - whatever your heart desires!)

If it's too yellow-y for example, I might add in a Blue Midtones layer. It just comes down to experimenting until you find something you like.

If you want, I can make a few screen shots to show you guys what I mean in a more coherent and step-by-step fashion. It might take me a few days though (or I can do it tomorrow if I don't feel like working, like I am now )

Other ways of colouring: TEXTURES! I personally do not like textures in videos, and don't use them, so I would be hopeless in that area. I think that's just because I don't use the right ones

ANY MORE QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW!

(Distractions from upcoming exams that are scaring the daylights out of me are always welcome.)



ETA: WOW THIS WAS LONG.

ETAA: OH YES! Following on from what Freya said, if you want to make things look a bit "softer", you could add a Glow layer to it. But I tend to lower the intensity of the glow RIGHT DOWN - enough to make it soft and pretty, but not so much that it becomes overbearing.

...If that made sense.
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[littleton_pace]

Jen wrote:

STEP TWO: Colour Curves are TEH BOMB. I prefer to use the Yellow tint, BUT, here's where the fun part comes in - you can play with the curves to change the colours until you find something you like :D I usually raise the blue (I think, I've not got Vegas open, so I don't remember what I do), lower the green, and muck around with the red. Whatever. I'll just keep playing with it until it's all vibrant/happy/"yay!" enough for me.

I second that!! every vid I make uses at least two different colour curves
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[Lost-majs]

I like to use Gredient map or color curve's like Jen and Freya just mentioned And then when I've done some of that, I just play around with "Brightness and contrast" to make the colors look a bit more interesting Sometimes, glow can be nice too. Especially if your wan't to give your video, a kind of "dreamy" feeling
Once in a while I make my video 25% black/white, and then after that, I use Gradien't map. That usually turns out pretty cool Hard to explain, though... It's like... The black/white colors, get's more bluish (Or whatever colors you chose in Gradient map), and then the effect kind of "stand's more out" compared to, if you just used the effect on a normal clip. Gah, I suck at explaining Anyways, that some of the things I do

[eloramoon]

These are awesome tips!!! Thank you!!!

Jen, maybe when you have time eventually, you could do a color curves tutorial for the Vegas help thread?

I am going to have so much fun playing around in Vegas now... thank you!!!

~ Julia
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[Aislynn]

Oh, that would be great if you don't mind writing up a tutorial with some screencaps, Jen! You can either make it a new thread and we'll link you into the tutorial thread or you can add it here or the Vegas help thread and I'll quote you in the All-In-One post. If you don't mind being linked or quoted, of course!

Thanks so much, Freya, Jen, Kat and Maja, for all your tips! I was just checking my Baby Vegas and I see that I do have a few of those tools, yay! I'll play around with them sometime and see what they can do!

[Jen]

Okay, no problem Will definitely do that today or tomorrow once I've got some free time on my hands.
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[Charmed_Charlee]

Another great think I think to use is:

Gradient Map a couple of them with red and black always cool and colour curves.

Also can sometimes be worth a try to use a solid colour on the top video line and change the compisiting mode and level of it with some brightness and contrast get this type of colouring:

[spoiler:1bd28b5819][/spoiler:1bd28b5819]

[OvariesOfSteel]

Yay for purty color tips! I usually experiment with what most have already mentioned. Someone...was it Charlee? has a coloring tutorial somewhere here that I haven't tried yet, actually using several steps. I haven't actually applied myself to color ALL clips in a vid yet, however.
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